Hawaii becomes the first state to ban the use of pesticide linked to brain damage

Scott Pruitt's EPA has gone to elaborate lengths to protect the manufacturers of chlorpyrifos, which is harmful to children and farm workers.

JASON LINKINS JUN 16, 2018, 2:28 PM

More than a year after the Trump administration controversially overturned a decision to ban pesticides containing chlorpyrifos, the state of Hawaii has taken the matter into its own hands.

The Aloha State has passed a law barring the use of such chemicals, which have been linked to adverse side effects in humans, including debiltating neurological and developmental maladies.

On Wednesday, Hawaii Governor David Ige (D) put his signature to Senate Bill 3095, which will ban the use of chlorpyrifos pesticides in the Aloha State at the start of the next calendar year. The law also bars the spraying of any pesticide within 100 feet of schools during normal hours of attendance.

“Protecting the health and safety of our keiki and residents is one of my top priorities. We must protect our communities from potentially harmful chemicals. At the same time, Hawai‘i’s agriculture industry is extremely important to our state and economy. We will work with the Department of Agriculture, local farmers and the University of Hawai‘i as we seek safe, alternative pest management tools that will support and sustain our agriculture industry for generations to come,” said Ige.

https://thinkprogress.org/hawaii-becomes-the-first-state-to-ban-the-use-of-pesticide-linked-to-brain-damage-884f61d24814/